Video+games

"A **video game** is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device" (Wikipedia).

**An Introduction to video games** The following interview with Kunkel (n.d.) Editor in Chief of Tips and Tricks magazine, also known as "The Game Doctor" provides a definition of a video game as an expert gamer along with added information on its history and other features including its future. Click [|Video games] to access this interview.

**Types of video games **
﻿     As technology and popularity continue to impact the video game industry, different video game types or genres are appearing of at a very rapid pace. Video games are categorized into various genres based on their gameplay, interaction and category. Therefore, there may be similarities between two video games, but the difference between them is simply the way they are played and how the gamer interacts with the game to play it. The most common video game genres played include Action, Action adventure, Construction and management simulation, Role Playing Games (RPGs), Strategy, Real-Time Strategy (RTS), and Racing (Bizymoms, 1997).

**Action﻿** An action game requires players to use quick reflexes, accuracy, and timing to overcome obstacles. It is perhaps the most basic of gaming genres, and certainly one of the broadest. Action games tend to have gameplay with emphasis on combat. Examples of action games include fighting games (//[|Street Fighter], [|Mortal Kombat], [|Virtua Fighter]//) and first person shooters (//[|Team Fortress]//, //[|Halo]//, //[|Killzone]//, //[|Metroid Prime]//, //[|Unreal Tournament]//, [|Call of Duty], [|TimeSplitters]), maze games (//[|Pac-Man]//) and pinball games(//[|Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure]// , //[|Star Trek: The Next Generation]//) (Wikipedia).

**Action adventure﻿** Action-adventure games typically feature long-term and many smaller obstacles that must be overcome using a tool or item as leverage. They tend to focus on exploration and usually involve item gathering, simple puzzle solving, and combat. Examples of action adventure games include //[|The Legend of Zelda]//, //[|God of War]//, //[|Tomb Raider]// series (Wikipedia).

**Construction and management simulation** Construction and management simulations (CMSs) are a type of simulation game which task players to build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. In city-building games the player acts as overall planner or leader to meet the needs and wants of game characters by initiating structures for food, shelter, health, spiritual care, economic growth, etc. Success is achieved when the city budget makes a growing profit and citizens experience an upgraded lifestyle in housing, health, and goods. Examples of this genre include, //[|SimCity]// and //Spore// (Wikipedia). **﻿**

**Role playing games (RPGs)** The games in this genre originate in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as //[|Dungeons & Dragons]//, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. "Role-playing video games typically rely on a highly developed story and setting" (Adams, 2003), which is divided into a number of quests. "Players control one or several characters by issuing commands, which is performed by the character at an effectiveness determined by that character's numeric attributes. Often these attributes increase each time a character gains a level, and a character's level goes up each time the player accumulates a certain amount of experience" ( Diveky & Bielikova, 2009). Examples of role playing games include //[|World of Warcraft], [|RuneScape],// //Grand Theft Auto// (Wikipedia).

Strategy video games focus on careful and skillful thinking and planning in order to achieve victory. According to Rollings (2003), in most strategy video games, "the player is given a godlike view of the game world, indirectly controlling the units under his command." Rollings also notes that "The origin of strategy games is rooted in their close cousins, board games." Examples of such games include Tom Clancy's [|EndWar], [|Sid Meier]'s //[|Civilization]// series, (RTS) [|real-time strategy] ([|Starcraft], [|Warcraft series], [|Age of Empires series], [|Dawn of War], [|Command and Conquer] and [|Dune II]) (Wikipedia).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Strategy **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Racing games** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Racing games typically place the player in the driver's seat of a high-performance vehicle and require the player to race against other drivers or sometimes just time. This genre of games is one of the staples of the computer gaming world and many of the earliest computer games created were part of this genre." Examples of such games include //[|Spy Hunter]//, //[|RoadBlasters]// and //[|Rock 'N' Roll Racing]// (Wikipedia).

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Video game platforms**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms. "Platform refers to the specific combination of electronic or computer hardware which, in conjunction with low-level software, allows a video game to operate" (Dictionary.com). Some of the most common video game platforms include the <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PC game ( a form of media that involves a player interacting with a personal computer connected to a high-resolution video monitor); <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">console game (played on a specialized electronic device that connects to a common television set or composite video monitor); <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">handheld gaming device (a self contained electronic device that is portable and can be held in a user's hands); <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">arcade game (a game played on an even more specialized type of electronic device that is typically designed to play only one game and is encased in a special cabinet). There are other devices with screens which have the ability to play games but are not dedicated video game machines. These include <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">mobile phones, <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PDAs and <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">graphing calculators (Wikipedia).

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Underlying theories supporting video-gaming (playing and building)
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In reviewing the literature, some of the main underlying theories identified by researchers that seem to support video game-playing and building include Constructionism, Constructivism, Social interaction theory, Situated cognition...

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Constructionism** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to Ackerman //et al//. (1996), “Constructionism is a constructivist learning theory and theory of instruction, which states that building knowledge occurs best through building things that are tangible and sharable” (p.56). “In the context of learning, constructionism is the idea that people learn effectively through making things. It is connected with experiential learning and builds on some of the ideas of Jean Piaget” (Wikipedia).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Constructionism claims that learners become more aware of their own methods and style of problem solving, and also the nuances of the problem by building and sharing personally meaningful artifacts (Papert, 1993a; Kafai, 1996). It also claims that by providing learners with the ‘pieces’ with which to build solutions to problems, the learner is able to focus on different aspects and features of the design as they become necessary. Cavallo, Papert, and Stager (2004) explain that such an approach allows for ‘out of the box’ thinking that can lead to creative and surprising designs.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the context of game-building, “the goal of constructionists” according to Kafai (2006), “is to provide students with greater opportunities to construct their own games—and to construct new relationships with knowledge in the process. She also states that “in the world of educational games,…constructionist approaches have received far less attention than their instructionist counterparts, but it is conceivable that they hold equal if not more potential for engaging children’s enthusiasm for games in the service of learning” (p.3).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 100%;">**Constructivism** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based upon current and past knowledge or experience. More specifically, learning involves constructing one's own knowledge from one’s own experiences. Constructivist learning, therefore, is a very personal endeavor, whereby internalized concepts, rules, and general principles may consequently be applied in a practical real-world context (Wikipedia).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Based on this definition of constructivism, Driscoll (2005) lists some of the prescriptive principles derived from constructivism: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. “Embed learning in complex, realistic, and relevant environments <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Provide for social negotiation as an integral part of learning <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Support multiple perspectives and the use of multiple modes of representation <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Encourage ownership in learning <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Nurture self-awareness of the knowledge construction process” (pp.394–395).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These principles can be applied to the building of video games because during the video game-building process, learning is embedded in complex, realistic, and relevant [game] environments, ownership of the learning is encouraged, and self-awareness of the knowledge construction process is nurtured as learners create new knowledge through experience and interaction (Gee, 2003; Schrier, 2006).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Social Interaction Theory** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 100%;">In his Social Interaction Theory, Vygotsky (1978) explains how learners acquire knowledge from their elders and their peers. In a game-building environment, for instance, participants collaborate with each other and build knowledge with others and on their own from trial-and-error learning, as well as from observing cause–and-effect consequences in the behaviors of their peers. As their knowledge and confidence increase, the reliance on others as “teachers” decreases and the learner moves toward self-efficacy, mastery and self-directedness (Wikipedia).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 100%;">**Situated Cognition** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Situated cognition is a theory of instruction that suggests learning is naturally tied to authentic activity, context, and culture (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). Halverson, Shaffer, Squire, and Steinkuehler (2006) suggest that situated cognition provides a meaningful framework for the study of games, given that games have an ability to situate learning in an authentic context and engage players in a community of practice. Dede, Nelson, Ketelhut, Clarke, and Bowman (2004) outline both constructivist and situated learning design principles that are present in effective video games. They include guided social constructivist design (GST), expert modeling and coaching (EMC) and legitimate peripheral participation (LPP). According to these and other researchers, the authentic, situated context affords greater content mastery and transfer of knowledge than a traditional classroom learning (Dickey, 2005, 2006; Klopfer & Yoon, 2005; Schrier, 2006).

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Video games and decision-making** **skills**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 100%;">Research has revealed that playing video games enhances decision-making skills. For instance, researchers at the University of Rochester found that video game players absorb information quickly and make sound snap decisions (Green //et al//, 2010). The researchers explained that they compared the skills of video action gamers to non-gamers by employing a series of controlled and simple decision-making experiments. Both groups had to look at an array of dots to identify the primary direction of the dots' motion. The results revealed that video gamers were quicker and more accurate in making judgments than non gamers. The gamers also excelled at an auditory decision-making test where participants were asked to decide whether sounds were heard in their right or left ears.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In an interview with Foreman (2004), Prensky, one of the leading edge thinkers in the field of game-based learning with particular reference to video games reports, "In order to play [a video game], game, players have to get information from other sources. They have to explore. They have to communicate. They have to post. An entire large community grows up around the core-game mechanism, which is really just a set of complex decision-makings that come very quickly and are well-paced" (n.p.). He continues, "If we take the notion of game-play and we break it down into what distinguishes a good game, perhaps the single most important thing is decision-making—frequent decision-making, speed of decisions. When you play a game, you make a decision typically every couple of seconds, or if it’s a turn-based game, every few minutes. Being forced to make those decisions increases the learning enormously" (n.p.).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hinrich, another leading edge thinker in this field also makes reference to the decision –making skills of video gamers. He explains, "...When you have the kids involved together in group play, you have one holding the controller, making the decisions, and the other ones influencing those decisions. Some of them actually demand the controller be put into their hands so that their particular skill comes out. " (Foreman, 2004, n.p.). He continues, "...game-players are spending long periods of time immersed in visual environments in which they have to make decisions. They have to think critically. They have to make choices. They have to reflect on all of their actions" (n.p.).

**Video games and knowledge-creation**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“ Knowledge is created through practice, collaboration, interaction, and education, as the different knowledge types (explicit knowledge- ‘ know-what ’ (Brown & Duguid 1998), tacit knowledge- ‘ know-how or intuitive, hard to define knowledge that is largely experience based ’ (Brown & Duguid 1998), embedded knowledge-‘ knowledge that is locked in processes, products, culture, routines, artifacts, or structures ’ (Horvath 2007, Gamble & Blackwell 2001) are shared and converted. Beyond this, knowledge creation is also supported by relevant information and data which can improve decisions and serve as building blocks in the creation of new knowledge ” (Frost, 2010).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In terms of game specific language, explicit knowledge is knowledge that is transmittable and sharable among game players or builders. Tacit knowledge is knowledge embedded in game specific skills, action strategies and experiences that is difficult to communicate and share amount game players using formal languages. (Kong & Kwok, 2009). Assuming that knowledge is created through conversion between explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge, Nonaka (1994) explains that there are four modes of knowledge conversion taking place in organizational knowledge creation: (1) //Internalization// — from explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge; (2) //Externalization// — from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge; (3) //Combination// —from explicit knowledge to explicit knowledge; and (4) //Socialization// — from tacit knowledge to tacit knowledge.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Based on Nonaka’s theory of organizational knowledge creation, it may be stipulated that knowledge creation in a [video game]-based collaborative learning environment can take place in four modes of knowledge conversion in the video game-play process.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Internalization//—from explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Learning the game usually starts with a tutorial session, which is like an introductory lesson for a new player to learn how to play a specific [video game]. In the tutorial session, the player reads the instructions and guides (explicit knowledge of [video game]) developed by the game developer, and practices on his/her own, with the purpose of consolidating and mastering the skills to control his/her avatar. The process of consolidating explicit knowledge (instructions and guides in the tutorial session) will help game players to transform this explicit knowledge into their own game specific skills, action strategies and experiences (tacit knowledge of [video game]) (Kong & Kwok, 2009). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Externalization//—from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Experienced players tend to share their knowledge to the //newbies//3 (a term used by experienced players to describe non-experienced, junior and low-//level// players who are willing to learn) in community forums, and who seek for opportunities to cooperate and team up in the [video game]. In particular, experienced players will share their knowledge and experience with //newbies// of the same //guild//. This sharing of transferred explicit knowledge can occur through the interactions between players in-game chat, and written experiences in blogs and forums, which are accessible and communicable to other players (Kong & Kwok, 2009).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Combination// —from explicit knowledge to explicit knowledge

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the [video game] setting, the game-play process can be triggered by competition between communities of players. A group of players can receive and share rewards while fighting against monsters and completion of a collaborative task together, in terms //leveling-up// with increases on various values of attributes of their avatars as a form of collaborative victory. Players of [video games] interact with in-group members in a variety of meaningful ways to share knowledge and skills so as to increase their capital and the chance of winning in those competitions and share collaborative victory (Kong & Kwok, 2009). Gee (2003) refers to these communities of players as affinity groups:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//“People in an affinity group can recognize others as more or less 'insiders to the group'. They may not see people face-to-face, but when they interact with someone on the internet or read something about the domain, they can recognize certain ways of thinking, acting, interacting valuing and believing as well as the typical sorts of social practices associated with a given semiotic domain.”//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Socialization// — from tacit knowledge to tacit knowledge

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Learners can learn through observing and imitating others, without direct interaction or communication using formal languages. This emphasizes that a player can learn through reading explicit knowledge (e.g. written walkthroughs and guides in blogs and forums, listening to advices and suggestions in in-game chats, etc.) using game specific languages (Kong & Kwok, 2009).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Other research studies also suggest that students or other individuals can create knowledge by being allowed to //design// their own computer games. Through this process, educators can facilitate deeper learning and promote the acquisition of literacies that will be crucial to success in tomorrow’s professional and social environments. These studies also suggest that kids’ best learning experiences come when they are engaged not simply in interacting with materials but in experimenting and inventing with them” (Myers, 2008, p.55).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the foremost proponents of this approach to learning, Mitchel Resnick, reports “In the process of designing and creating—making sculptures out of clay or castles out of cardboard—children try out their ideas...If their creations don’t turn out as they’d expected or hoped, they can revise their ideas and try something new...It’s an iterative cycle: new ideas, new creations, new ideas, new creations...In design activities, as in play, children test the boundaries, experiment with ideas, explore what’s possible” (p.55 in Myers, 2008).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In video game-playing and creation, researchers such as Sandford & Madill (2007) agreed with leading edge thinkers in the field of game-based learning that significant and powerful learning is happening through the play and creation of video games. Norton‐Meier (2005) also acknowledged the powerful learning that is embedded in this so‐called entertainment: “turn taking, risk taking, decision making, and even content about our world is the focus” (p. 429).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other research also indicate that in creating knowledge “...good video games offer players a set of challenging problems and then let them solve these problems until they have virtually routinized or automatized their solutions...Then the game throws a new class of problem at the players, requiring them to rethink their now taken-for-granted mastery, learn something new, and integrate this new learning with their old mastery. In turn, this new mastery is consolidated through repetition (with variation), only to be challenged again” (Gee, 2003, p.7).

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 100%;">Software to create video games
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of the best software that are available for kids to build video games in an effort to sharpen their decision-making skills and create knowledge include // <span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 100%;">Kodu Visual Programming Language, //<span style="color: #548dd4; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Scratch, Game Maker....//

//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Kodu** // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "Kodu is a new visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children. The programming environment runs on the Xbox, allowing rapid design iteration using only a game controller for input" (Anderson, Coy, Farnharm, and Gibson, n.d.).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The programming user interfaceis the core of the Kodu project. The programming language, which is simple and entirely icon-based is designed specifically for game development and provides specialized primitives derived from gaming scenarios. Programs comprise pages, which are broken down into rules that are further divided into conditions and actions. These programs are expressed in physical terms, using concepts like vision, hearing, and time to control character behavior. Conditions are evaluated simultaneously. ( Anderson, Coy, Farnharm, and Gibson, n.d.).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The following key features of Kodu provide an end-to-end creative environment for designing, building, and playing your own new games:


 * <span style="color: #323223; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">High-level language incorporates real-world primitives: collision, color, vision
 * <span style="color: #323223; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Uses Xbox 360 Game Controller for input — no keyboard required
 * <span style="color: #323223; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Runs on XBox 360 and PC
 * <span style="color: #323223; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Interactive terrain editor
 * <span style="color: #323223; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bridge and path builder
 * <span style="color: #323223; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Terrain editor - create worlds of arbitrary shape and size
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 20 different characters with different abilities ( Anderson, Coy, Farnharm, and Gibson, n.d.).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//**Scratch**//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//**[|Scratch demo]**// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//**[|Scratch by Mitchel Resnick]**// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//**﻿**// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Scratch// is a visual programming environment, developed by Resnick’s research group at the MIT Media Lab, that lets users create interactive, media-rich projects. “A key goal of //Scratch// is to introduce programming to those with no previous programming experience. Programming is done by snapping together colorful command blocks to control 2-D graphical objects called sprites moving on a background called the stage. //Scratch// added programmability to media-manipulation activities that are popular in youth culture, and it encouraged young people to learn through exploration and peer sharing, with less focus on direct instruction than other programming languages. To help users make their projects personally engaging, motivating, and meaningful, //Scratch// makes it easy to import or create many kinds of media (images, sounds, music)” (Resnick //et al//, 2003, pp.1-3).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In //Scratch//, scripting elements are represented as drag-and-drop graphic blocks that can be snapped together into stacks. When a stack of scripting blocks is double-clicked, the resulting action can be seen in an adjoining staging area on the right side of the screen. //Scratch// can be highly engaging to students because it allows them to see the results of their work as they create it. They are also able to edit their project while it is running (Myers, 2008).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In creating a //Scratch// project, the kids think of an idea, break up the idea into its parts, and then construct each part using the scripting blocks. Throughout the process, they engage in a trial-and-error process, which encourages various kinds of challenging creative approaches. As a result, “they learn to manipulate multiple forms of media, mathematically coordinate interactions and timing between objects, and absorb systems concepts such as sensing and feedback—all while gaining familiarity with foundational programming concepts” (Myers, 2008, p.56).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//**Game Maker**//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//**[|Game Maker tutorial]﻿**//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Game Maker’s (GM) object-oriented design environment allows the designer to build games by defining objects (characters, walls, platforms, tools, weapons) with visual representations and other properties. An object’s properties may be defined using GM’s library of more than 100 built-in actions, most of which are highly customizable. Once familiar with GM’s simple interface, novice designers can create their own versions of games like //Pac-Man// or //Centipede// in less time than it takes to go to the video store. More experienced users can access GM’s source code to write advanced functions and even create 3-D effects” (Myers, 2008, p.56).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other software that can be used to include // Adventure Maker (http://adventuremaker.com/), DarkBasic Pro (http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2000), Eclipse Game Maker( //[|//http://www.freemmorpgmaker.com/tutorials.php//]//, Starlogo ([])… //

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**CHALLENGE**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**After playing the following game, briefly describe some of the decisions you needed to make and the knowledge you created as a result**?

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Virtual Villagers: The Lost Children// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Continue the epic story of the Isola castaways in Virtual Villagers 2. Guide your tribe as they rescue a group of lost children and help them survive new adventures. New surprises and twists are revealed everytime you play!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Raise children who resemble their parents, and lead your villagers as they solve all new puzzles, technologies, and events to uncover the hidden mysteries of the western shores of the island. Will your tribe survive & thrive?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**You can download Virtual Villagers at the following link:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**[|Virtual Villages: The Lost Children]**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**﻿**

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**References**
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ackermann, E. (1996) “Perspective-taking and object construction: Two keys to learning”. In Constructionism in practice: Designing, thinking, and learning in a digital world (Kafai, J. & Resnick, M. Eds.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, Publishers, pp. 25-37.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Adams, E. and Rollings, A. (2003). Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on game design. New Riders Publishing, pp. 347-248.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anderson, E,. Coy, S., Farnharm, S.D. and Gibsob, B. (n.d.). Kodu. Microsoft Research. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bizymoms. (1997). Types of video games. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brown, J. S., Collins, A. & Duguid, S. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. //Educational Researcher// **18** (1): 32–42.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cavallo, D., Papert, S., & Stager, G. (2004). Climbing to understanding: Lessons from an experimental learning environment for adjudicated youth//. International Conference on LearningSciences// (pp. 113-120). Santa Monica, California.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dede, C., Nelson, B., Ketelhut, D. J., Clarke, J., & Bowman, C. (2004). //Design-based research strategies for studying situated learning in a multi-user virtual environment.// Paper presented at the 6th international conference on Learning sciences, Santa Monica, CA.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dickey, M. D. (2005). Three-dimensional virtual worlds and distance learning: Two case studies of Active Worlds as a medium for distance education. //British Journal of Educational Technology, 36//(3), 439-451.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dickey, M. D. (2006). //"Ninja Looting" for instructional design: The design challenges of creating a gamebased learning environment.// Paper presented at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 conference, Boston.

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